Clark Kent And SG-1: Time Masters
by SuperBear
Summary: When the Joker is given the power to create altered timelines, Clark and SG-1 must restore those timelines. Including the one where Captain Kirk and Spock live in Smallville. They get occasional help from the guys on "The Big Bang Theory." That's when the Joker isn't messing with all their minds.
1. Chapter 1

Scanning for anomalies...

Located: Beings outside indigenous universes

Central planet: Vulcan

It was in the middle of a major region of Vulcan wilderness that the man appeared.

A blond-haired man dressed in orange and green.

With his curly blond hair, he might have been thought an angel.

Except he wasn't glowing. Instead, he was sweating profusely.

There was much mumbling from the Vulcan science expedition. As they activated their recording instruments, they also watched as the man struggled to lift his sand-covered head while he held out a trembling green-gloved hand.

"Help me," he pleaded.

The chambers of the Vulcan Science Council. The usual low mumbling. What passed for vigorous debate on Vulcan.

As the council members deliberated in low murmurs, a man suddenly appeared in their midst.

It was one of the rare times an audible gasp went up from the council members.

It was hard to tell if the man looked confused or just really annoyed. Clearly, by the way he was crouched, he was ready to spring into action.

Dressed in black and yellow spandex with an "X" on his red belt, the man had thick sideburns and a hairstyle that created two points on top of his head.

And, oh, yes. Long claws sticking out of his knuckles.

Now the council members murmured in an apprehensive tone.

In contrast, the demeanor of the man became more relaxed. Just a little. As his dark eyes shifted back and forth under his mask, he turned his head from side to side. Once he was convinced of no apparent immediate threat, Sideburn-Man stood up straight.

"Hey, bub," he said in a low growling voice. "Mind telling me where I am?"

Somewhere a ghostly figure emitted a shrieking laugh. A white-faced clown with a ghoulish smile held white-gloved hands to his purple-suited stomach. As he threw back his wild green hair, he continued with his wailing high-pitched laughter.

A Vulcan boy wandered the wilderness alone.

From seemingly nowhere a silver gleaming robot appeared. It focused its large oval red glowing eyes on the boy. Swiftly lifting both hands, it aimed what appeared to be weapons .

Blinded by the sunlight reflected off the silver surface, the boy stumbled backwards.

As the boy fell back, a very tall man descended on the robot. With his long black coat flapping and whipping around like a cape, the man quickly tore off the metallic limbs and tossed them away.

As he stood with fists clenched, the man shot red rays out of his eyes, turning the metal being into slag.

With wide eyes, the boy stared.

"A Terminator," the man explained calmly in perfect Vulcanese.

He then did something very odd.

Even though he did not have the pointed ears of a Vulcan, he did a mind-meld with the boy.

New location: Prime Earth, Manhattan

October 7, 1939

Tuning in to the moments just prior to The Incident. Just before the creation of a major altered timeline in the Prime Universe.

It happened quickly.

One moment the gray truck barreled toward the young woman.

The next she was gone.

A tall young man had her in his arms. He also had a smug grin on his face as he gently put her down.

"Thank you, young man." Edith Keeler spoke in an almost gasping voice. Yet for the most part she was calm. As she placed her feet on the ground, she looked up at the man and her dark eyes seemed to sparkle as her pale face seemed to glow..

"No problem," the tall one said quietly.

Captain Kirk, Spock and Doctor McCoy ran across the street, dodging the light traffic to join the two.

A stone-faced Spock confronted the tall man.

"Young man," he said sternly, "you do not realize what you have done."

"What he's done?" McCoy hissed. "What about you, Jim? What were you doing holding me back like that?"

"Not now, Bones." Kirk held out cupped hands toward the tall young man. "Who are you? Where did you come from?"

"Yes, who in blazes are you?" McCoy said. "It's like you just appeared out of nowhere. What planet are you from? What kind of lifeform are you?"

"Calm yourself, doctor. If you please, young man, identify yourself."

The smug grin spread.

"I'm Clark Kent. From Smallville."

As Spock would remark later, the young man's demeanor and expression changed abruptly. Suddenly, this "Clark Kent, " dressed in a red shirt and blue pants, looked shocked and horrified.

"I've said too much, done too much," Clark muttered.

In an instant, he was gone, leaving behind only a sharp gust of wind. Spock squinted against it along with Captain Kirk, Doctor McCoy and the very much alive Edith Keeler.

"Just like that. 'Whoosh' and he's gone," McCoy said.

"A mysterious exit. With a lame excuse," Edith noted.

"Edith, you all right?"

"I'm fine, Jim. But it was a very close call indeed."

Spock crossed his arms over his coat. "I would be more concerned with the inhuman speed of our 'Clark Kent.' And with our now uncertain future."

Spock glanced over at Edith, currently in the arms of Captain Kirk.

Now tracking Time Travel Team "SG-1:"

Sitting aboard the timemobile, Colonel Jack O'Neill wondered.

How did we get into this situation?

Here he was on a timemobile, operated by Angus MacGyver, just taking a ride with the "Big Bang" guys. Yes, those guys. Raj, Howard, Sheldon and Leonard. His buddies. His fan club.

Nearby was an aged Mister Spock. And he looked very concerned. Maybe even troubled. If that's possible for a Vulcan.

Right next to O'Neill was a tall white-haired Clark Kent with wrinkles on his face. Same slightly dorky grin, though.

Of course, the colonel had his usual team with him: Daniel, Carter, Teal'c.

And they were all on their way back to that moment in time when Edith Keeler was supposed to be hit by a truck and die.

Supposed to. Until a young Clark Kent saved her.

And that resulted in Captain Kirk living in Smallville with his wife Edith. Or "Edie," as Spock and Doctor McCoy called her.

In that timeline, Lex Luthor becomes Emperor of Earth.

And dictators rule over Earth for hundreds of years. Much like when Bruce Wayne's parents lived. All because a displaced Vulcan crashed into Joe Chill.

In both cases, what a mess.

As O'Neill sat back in the not-so-comfortable chair of the timemobile, he thought again.

How did all this get started?

"So!" With an air of calm authority, Daniel Jackson combined a weary sigh with a wincing skeptical look. As he crossed his arms over his Stargate Command jacket, he casually strolled across the interrogation room. "You're a super-powered person but without any actual super powers?"

Colonel Jack O'Neill raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, how exactly does that work, Mister Super-Powers?"

An exasperated Clark Kent sat in a wooden chair with his hands cuffed. Much like a modern-day Samson in a red jacket and blue T-shirt. As he once again tested the handcuffs, O'Neill tutted, "Uh-uh-uh-uh!"

Clark spoke in an exasperated voice. "I told you, it's the solar flares. They're interfering with my powers. Sometimes I'm in overdrive, the next minute I've got nothing."

"Uh huh," Daniel said with more of the skeptical look. "And tell me again how you got here."

"Like I said, I was running through Colorado Springs."

"At super speed," O'Neill noted. He held up his index finger. "Oh. Until it ran out."

"Yes. And while I was slowing down, this round...thing apppeared in the middle of the street. I ran through it. The next thing I know, I'm here. It was just like that round thing you've got in your room. It was the first thing I saw when I arrived here."

"Right," Daniel said with a little sigh. "Well, I'm all out, Jack. Do you have anything for our guest?"

O'Neill was leaning against the wall, slouched upright against it, arms crossed over his uniform. He spoke in a tone as casual as his posture.

"Well, the Stargate does on occasion do some odd things. It once sent us back to nineteen-sixty-nine. But I've never heard of it just popping up in the middle of Colorado Springs."

"Sir, you really shouldn't tell him too much," Major Samantha Carter warned.

"Relax, Carter. Who's he going to tell in a mental instituion?" O'Neill held up an ID card. "Check this out. He's 'Clark Kent.'" With one hand, O'Neill made quotation marks gestures. "From 'Smallville, Kansas.'" As he lowered the card, he frowned. "What kind of name is that? 'Smallville.'"

Daniel spoke in his casual-authoritative voice. "It's the hometown of Superman."

"Super...who?" Clark said.

"What, they don't have Superman where you're from?" O'Neill's eyebrows went up again. "Well, looks like Mister Super-Powers here crossed over from the comic books. And look at this. There's even an I-D for 'Smallville High.'"

"Very original," Daniel said.

O'Neill bent down to address Clark. "So tell me, 'Superman,' what's life like there at old Smallville High? Does Aquaman attend, too? Or Spider-Man? Maybe Batman and Captain America?"

"That's actually two different comic book companies, Jack."

"Thank you, Daniel." O'Neill held the card to Clark's face. "Tell me, 'Clark.' Does this fool any bouncers?"

Now Teal'c spoke in a kind of rumbling voice. "You stated that you were fleeing from an individual named 'Perry White.' Who is this Perry White?"

"He's editor of the Daily Planet, Teal'c," Daniel said. "In the Superman comic books."

"I am not familiar with this 'Superman.'"

"Come on, Teal'c. You've been on Earth how long?"

"Perry White is a reporter," Clark said with his head slightly bowed.

"Uh-huh!" O'Neill said. "For the 'Daily Planet,' right?"

"Actually, a T-V show called 'X-Styles.'"

"Come on, kid. At least get your delusions straight! I mean, I've heard of 'Wormhole X-treme.' But not this 'X-Styles.' It's not written by Martin Lloyd, is it?"

"Perry White's probably an imaginary friend," Daniel muttered.

"Guys, we don't know enough about the situation yet," Carter said, arms crossed over her black jacket.

Teal'c crossed his arms. "I do not believe he means us any harm."

"Same here, Teal'c," Carter said.

That's when it happened.

There was a bright flash of light and a quick quiet low buzz—similar to when SG-1 used transport rings—and suddenly they were all inside the Gate Room.

Where the Stargate was already fully activated.

And they were pulled into it. "Oh!" they shouted. Including the handcuffed Clark.

And then...

There was this thing.

They were all in front of this thing.

"I am the Guardian of Forever," it said.

Aboard the timemobile, Daniel had his own recollections of the incident.

"Well, this is odd," Daniel said quietly. "The Guardian of Forever is from an old 'Star Trek' episode called 'The City On The Edge of Forever.'"

O'Neill gave him a look. "It figures you would know that, Daniel. So what are you saying? We've somehow been transported into an episode of 'Star Trek?'"

"It could be some kind of mental illusion, sir," Carter suggested.

The colonel glanced at their prisoner. "With a guy who thinks he's Clark Kent?"

"I am Clark Kent."

"Silence!" the Guardian-portal said.

"Whoa!" As he turned to the Guardian, O'Neill wince-glared. "Hey, there. Who do you think you are? The Wizard of Oz?"

Sitting in the timemobile, O'Neill thought how funny it was. Well, not funny ha-ah. Funny strange.

Later they learned Clark was actually from another world, a place called "Prime Earth," a place where Superman and other superheroes were real. Or would be real. Depends on what time you visited.

Yes, good old Clark was from Prime Earth. Part of the Prime Universe, don't you know?

In that universe, Clark would become Superman. Later on, there would be a Captain Kirk and Mister Spock and all those others from "Star Trek." And even later than that there would be Clark's old friends from the future, the Legion.

As O'Neill closed his eyes and sat back, he thought, Yes. Clark. Superman. Kirk, Spock. The Legion. But first there was their old friend the Guardian.

Which later O'Neill would describe as a TV set shaped like a clam or a mollusk. More like a mollusk, really.

"I have used your Stargate to bring you here."

As the Guardian spoke, lights flashed on and off.

"And just why would you do that?" O'Neill asked.

"You are needed for a vital mission."

"Could have just asked," Daniel said.

"Yeah, could have just asked," Clark mumbled with head bowed.

"Indeed," from Teal'c.

With shadows dancing on his face, O'Neill gave the Guardian an annoyed look. "Listen, whoever or whatever you are, send us back where we came from. Right now!"

"Think that'll actually work?" Clark muttered.

"Shut up...'Clark.'"

"I will not send you back. Any of you," the Guardian said.

"Maybe we should listen," Clark said. "This is the voice I heard in my head telling me to trust you guys."

O'Neill gave him a look. "Well, that makes me feel a lot better. I'm sure you hear a lot of voices."

Again, lights flashed on and off as the Guardian-thing spoke.

"You are needed. What you must do is most essential."

Carter looked concerned. Again. "Maybe we should at least hear him,,,it out, sir."

"I am in agreement with you, Major Carter."

"Whatever," O'Neill said.

They heard him/it out.

"A great menace has materialized, one that threatens multiple universes."

"What, no slide presentation or anything?" O'Neill said.

"Go on," Daniel said.

"This threat involves powerful beings known as the 'Q.'"

"Uh, excuse me," Daniel said, raising a finger. "The Q aren't real. They're from a T-V series called 'Star Trek: The Next Generation.'"

"What is thought of as fictional on your world, Doctor Jackson, is real on other worlds. The creative individuals on your world simply tune in to other realities and create what you call a 'T-V series.'"

"Yeah. Not buying it," O'Neill said.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Daniel said.

"Same here," from Carter.

"We are in agreement," Teal'c said.

"What is everyone talking about?" Clark muttered.

"You, the members of S-G-One. Have you not traveled to other worlds, experienced other realities?"

A brief silence. Only the sound of a slight breeze.

"He's got a point, sir," Carter said.

"Um, who are you guys?" Clark asked.

"No one," O'Neill said.

"Members of the Q continuum departed from the norm," the Guardian went on. "They gave powers to a being from Prime Earth. A being known as 'The Joker.'"

Again, Daniel held up a finger. "Um, excuse me again. The Joker isn't real, either. He's a comic book character."

"Yeah, he's Batman's enemy. Played by Jack Nicholson. Even I know that." O'Neill made a face. "Are you saying he's real somewhere?"

"Indeed, and you shall soon see for yourself. The Joker now has power to influence and invade minds, to alter timelines and to send beings from one dimension into another. Observe."

The Guardian showed them visions of men with pointed ears confronting unusual visitors.

"Wait," Daniel said. "Are those Vulcans? And Aquaman. Wolverine. A Terminator?"

"Who's the old guy?" O'Neill asked.

"Who are all these guys?" Clark asked. "I mean, I know the Terminator from the movies, but-"

Clark wiped his wrists. O'Neill's eyes widened as he saw that Clark was no longer bound and that he was standing up. The colonel raised a weapon but Daniel gently placed it back down.

"Jack, somehow I don't think that's going to do any good."

A frowning O'Neill turned to his friend. "Daniel, is this maybe some big practical joke by you and some of your geek friends? Or maybe your buddies, the Ancients?"

"Not likely, Jack. Nothing this elaborate anyway."

"The Ancients do not have a sense of humor that I am aware of," Teal'c said solemnly. Next to him, Clark gave him a curious look. "Still, our situation is most unusual."

"I'll say," Carter said with big wide eyes.

"The Ancients aren't really the kind of play practical jokes," Daniel said.

"Guys, feel free to fill me in at some point," Clark said.

The Guardian's voice cut in. "I shall provide the information you require."

A slight groan from O'Neill. "Can you turn the volume down?"

No change in volume. More groaning, from all of them. "I shall send you to restore the altered timelines and return displaced beings home."

"Thanks for the offer," O'Neill said. "Think we'll pass."

"You will work with Doctor Sam Beckett."

"Uh, hey," a man said uncertainly. Dressed entirely in a white one-piece outfit, Beckett was a somewhat handsome man with a big nose and bushy eyebrows above eyes that were only half-open..

"Beckett," O'Neill said with a cordial nod. "Care to join us on our way home?"

"I'm always trying to find my way home," Beckett said quietly in a low mumbling voice.

"I send you now on your first mission," the Guardian declared.

"Uh, no!"

"I don't think we can fight this," Clark said. "But there may be something else we can do without fighting."

O'Neill gave him a look. "So first you think you're Clark Kent now you think you're Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

Turning away from Clark, the colonel stepped toward the Guardian. "Send us back now."

Aboard the timemobile, Teal'c thought how O'Neill would be unlikely to make a comment about Obi-Wan Kenobi. O'Neill had never even seen "Star Wars." This was a possible attempt by the Joker to infiltrate his mind. To battle the Joker, Teal'c employed some of his most powerful memories.

Those of his family.

Next to Teal'c, O'Neill continued his own recollections of the incident.

"I send you out now," the Guardian said.

"No, no, no, no, no!" O'Neill objected.

As energy built up around them, O'Neill had a strange thought. He hoped he wouldn't end up eating Fruit Loops on each trip. Like when he was caught in that time loop.

When the group materialized on a world with a Stargate, O'Neill immediately began dialing home.

"Jack, I think we have to do this," Daniel said.

"Your friend is right. Colonel. Sir," Clark said. "I don't think we can just walk away from this."

"Watch me," O'Neill said.

That was when the Stargate vanished.

"Aw, great," O'Neill muttered.

"Colonel, I have to agree with Daniel. I really don't think we have a choice," Carter said.

Aboard the timemobile, O'Neill winced as he recalled it, the way the Guardian flooded his mind with images of people whose lives they would change. The colonel still felt some of the pain and agony.

After those painful visions, he decided, along with the others, they would go on the Guardian's missions.

Beckett was leaning over, gasping. "If we can change lives, we have to do it."

"You saw all that, too?" a sweating Clark said.

"I did," Daniel said. "Sam?"

Carter nodded.

"As did I," Teal'c said. "Our involvement in these missions is most vital."

Carter looked at O'Neill. "We have to do this, sir."

"Yeah, okay." O'Neill winced and groaned. "I never really wanted a life anyway."

"It's only temporary, Jack," Daniel said. "Then we go home."

"And how exactly do you know that, Daniel?"

"The Guardian told me. In my mind.." Daniel pointed to some backpacks nearby. "Just like he told me about those."

"Now I wonder what's in those?" O'Neill muttered as he picked one up and searched the contents.

"Technology. From the Q and the Ancients," Daniel said.

"This just gets better and better," O'Neill said.

In that moment, they were transported to their first mission.

Many more missions would follow.


	2. Bruce Wayne's Parents Live! (Bummer)

"I want to press 'wipe' this time," Raj Koothrappali argued.

"It's my turn," Howard Wolowitz insisted.

In the passenger section of the timemobile, the two scientists-turned-time-travelers hit each other like girls.

As hands flapped wildly, a passenger in a military uniform shouted, "Hey!" The two sat sharply at attention, shoulders up.

"Will you two stop it?" the military man snapped. "Neither one of you is doing it. No, Sheldon, not you either."

"I don't care," Sheldon Cooper muttered.

Meekly, Leonard Hofstadter raised his hand. "Can I?"

"No, Leonard. Not you either."

"A-a-aw!" a dejected Leonard "aaw"-ed as he visibly deflated.

As all four guys watched, Colonel Jack O'Neill held up the time travel gizmo known as the Restart Device.

"I've got the remote," he said.

Aboard the timemobile, Daniel Jackson reflected on their so-called lives as "time travel fixer-uppers" (as Jack called them). Their official title was Protectors of the Prime Universe. Which sounded kind of like Guardians of the Galaxy.

Were they anything like the Guardians? Well, they didn't have an armed racoon on their team or a talking tree. Though they had met such unusual beings. (Some in Middle-Earth, where the Joker had once sent Batman to join Sam and Frodo on their quest.) The team had even met the Guardians of the Galaxy themselves. Which wasn't fun for Jack. He was especially annoyed at the way Groot kept repeating himself.

Plus Jack and Peter Quill had a tendency to butt heads. Literally, when the Joker took mental control of them.

But getting back to the main point. .

Daniel thought how being a Protector wasn't all bad.

Occasionally they worked with people from other worlds. Like a Bruce Wayne who lived on the Kent farm. (Rather ironic considering one of their major missions was fixing a timeline that involved Bruce Wayne.) Or a Sheldon Cooper who invented gadgets while sporting a Van Dyke. (That's a goatee without a mustache, as Sheldon himself would happily explain.) Appropriately, Jack called this Sheldon-with-a-Van-Dyke "Bearded Sheldon."

They had also worked with a Sam and Dean Winchester who had their own time travel team that included Michael Westen and Hawkman. They were kind of a backup Protectors of the Prime Universe. Relief pitchers, Jack called them. Which Dean really didn't like. As Daniel saw more than once, Jack and Dean didn't always get along so great.

It was especially bad that time Jack and Dean had a big argument while in the background Groot repeated himself loudly and frequently. The only thing that could have made that worse was if Sheldon was nearby constantly knocking on a door.

There were other missions where they met other people. Once Clark worked with Jack Bauer while the rest of the team worked with the Sliders, a group of people who traveled from world to world in a kind of make-it-up-as-you-go manner. They happily shared their expertise in dimension-hopping.

You should take time off whenever you could, they advised.

Thus, the team often employed the holodeck provided by the Q.

Then it was back to work. With the help and guidance of the Guardian of Forever, of course.

Daniel looked over at Jack. What was going through his mind at this time?

With his cap lowered over his eyes, O'Neill sat back in a passenger chair. Everyone was accounted for. Clark. Spock. Beckett. Teal'c. Carter. Daniel. The guys. Mac was off operating the timemobile.

And of course there was the good old Guardian himself.

One of the things the Guardian could do was help people experience events they had not directly witnessed.

Which O'Neill had to admit he found really annoying. It was like a TV set in your mind that you just could not turn off.

For now, it helped O'Neill see things from the perspective of a Vulcan named "Fred."

As Daniel constantly pointed out, the guy's real name was Surnak.

This was "The Case of the Bumbling Vulcan Time Traveler," as Beckett called it. Because Beckett sometimes had a weird sense of humor..

In contrast with Beckett, O'Neill called the incident "The Story of Fred."

Ah, yes. Good old Fred.

"All the dictators ruling Earth for hundreds of years? Your fault."

The one called Garth had a light red scar running along his left eye which was swollen shut in a large mass of dark purple skin. This under his wild shock of red hair.

"And Garth flunked history," Rokk said. He wore an eye patch with a stitch on his left cheek. "A guy named Sam Beckett told us all about it."

"Yeah, he took over the body of Bouncing Boy," Garth said with a chuckle.

Thanks to a telepathic link with the one called "Imra," with her puffy red cheeks and stringy blond hair, the Vulcan was able to understand the words spoken by these members of the "Legion."

The Legion was a group of underground warriors battling the Emperor and his Imperial Guard.

At the moment, Imra was less rebel-warrior and more translator.

Logically, Surnak found being able to understand the language made the situation far easier to comprehend.

Just minutes ago, the Vulcan was in his lab when he was sucked into a portal. When he emerged, he crashed into a man holding a gun. When he looked up, dazed and disoriented, he took note of a young couple and a boy. Immediately, he was sucked into another portal.

Now here he was in the 31st century. In his mind, he quickly rattled off the exact time, day and year.

He knew the exact time because of the telepathic link. And he was able to think about that time in the measurements used on this planet called "Earth."

As he crouched alongside the three Legion members, Surnak struggled to concentrate as Imra's voice explained the visions that unfolded in his mind. While laser fire flew above his head and the heads of his three new friends, Surnak got the basic story of this place called "Earth."

Or at least this version of Earth.

In the early 21st century, a "Lex Luthor" became the first Emperor of Earth. In response, Charles Xavier and Magneto organized an army that combined mutants and people known as "meteor freaks." Unfortunately, even with this army of powerful people, Professor X and Magneto were not successful in deposing Emperor Luthor.

From the reign of this "Lex Luthor" followed a long line of Emperors, some by succession or appointment, others by individual overthrow or general uprisings. In his mind, Surnak saw a series of Emperors, each one more cruel-in-face then the last. One was a female Asian Empress. (Niya? Surnak didn't quite catch the name.) There was a series of Emperor Luthors, on and off.

Of all the Emperors, Tiberius had the most fierce and cruel face. Emperor Spock simply looked sterm.

Surnak wondered. Was Earth's current Emperor a Vulcan?

As the visions vanished, Surnak thought of the greatest of all Vulcans. No doubt Surak would be ashamed of Surnak's emotional response to all this. But under the circumstances it was understandable.

And then Surnak was back in the present situation. Or future situation, as it were.

The situation had changed.

At the center of the room, a "Stargate" activated. (That was a very odd thing, a Stargate in a Time Museum. But it was a relic, this "Stargate.") Out stepped five men and one woman. At the center of the group was a tall man in black. What was that unusual red S-shaped symbol on his chest?

Whatever it was, the tall one let lasers bounce off his chest. As he did, he marched forcefully toward the Imperial Guard. Once he was upon them, he began throwing them around the room.

"Whoa," Garth said.

"Yeah," from Rokk.

Imra silently relayed her astonishment and admiration.

Once the room was still, a charcoal-haired man in sunglasses and a green cap pointed to the Vulcan.

"You. With us. Now," he said. To emphasize his point, he helped the Vulcan up.

With the apparently invincible man deflecting laser fire from a new wave of Imperial Guard, they all went through the Stargate.

Sitting next to Daniel, O'Neill continued to recall "The Story of Fred."

With their new Vulcan friend in tow, they all arrived safely at Home Base, their home away from home. Created for the team by the Q and the Ancients, Home Base had rooms that looked like parts of the Kent farm, parts of the Stargate Command base at Cheyenne Mountain, and parts of the "Enterprise."

Sometimes parts of all three in the same room.

In that crazy place, Daniel explained things to Fred, .

While Daniel spoke to Fred in Vulcanese, O'Neill talked to the others.

The colonel used his thumb to gesture to his large Jaffa friend. (Actually, ex-Jaffa friend.) As usual, O'Neill was telling Clark about some of the experiences SG-1 had been through.

"Teal'c saw some of our Earth television. Wanted to leave the base with his staff weapon. General Hammond put the kibosh on that idea."

"Your world appeared most violent, O-Neill. And what is meant by a 'kibosh?'"

"Yeah, I never heard that one either," Clark said with a slight quizzical squint. "And my dad uses some pretty weird expressions. Like 'honky dory.'"

"Explain to us a 'kibosh,' O-Neill."

Sam Beckett crossed his arms. "I'd like to know, too."

O'Neill held out his hands. "Don't you guys watch 'Seinfeld?'"

"Sorry," Clark said with a grin. "We've been busy fixing timelines."

"Should be a few minutes, sir," Carter said.

O'Neill briefly noted that Carter was working on the manual override for the special Stargate they used for time travel. Another gift from the Q and the Ancients. Funny that the technology they provided could still act up.

Also funny: if they went to a place with no Stargate, their special Stargate would appear behind them temporarily. A lot like when the gang got sent back to 1969.

Okay, enough musing. Back to the conversation.

"I hope we are successful in restoring the timeline," Teal'c said.

"We have been before," O'Neill said. He spread his hands, palms out in a kind of Alfred E. Neumann "what, me worry?" kind of way.. "Why not now?"

"With all the stuff the Joker throws at us, it gets harder," Clark said.

Carter grinned. "You know, Clark, when we were in the thirty-first century you could have just knocked out all the guards at super-speed." 

Clark also grinned. "I know. But sometimes it helps to shock the enemy. A friend taught me that."

"Ah, your old buddy Lex Luthor."

"Yeah, I'd like to get back to Lex. And my parents." Clark now had a squinting sad look.

With his usual slight grin, Teal'c bowed at the waist. "You have spoken of your parents many times, Clark Kent. They seem like fine people."

"They are. Real salt of the earth," O'Neill said..

After a nod of his head toward O'Neill, Teal'c turned back to Clark. "Unlike your own idyllic existence in Smallville, my life has been far less peaceful. As you know, my own people have been enslaved by false gods."

"I know," Clark said quietly.

"I would not wish to see your parents or the people of Earth, the Tauri, enslaved by anyone."

"We're ready," Carter announced.

Sitting between Daniel and Clark, Sam Beckett also reflected on the events involving Surnak. He thought how it might help them in their current mission. It could be a confidence-builder, for one thing.

Beckett recalled that it took them several tries to stop Surnak from being sucked into that portal again..

Actually, once or twice, they were all sucked into that portal. They ended up colliding with Joe Chill and Bruce Wayne's parents.

What did they do then? They just started all over again.

Thanks to a bit of Q-technology called "the Restart Device," SG-1 had more than one chance to correct a timeline.

And it was vital that they put this timeline back to normal.

When Surnak crashed into Joe Chill, it was a crash that changed Earth's history.

Ironically, it meant the first contact between Vulcans and the people of Earth was much earlier.

But more importantly, there was no Batman. Which the Joker must have loved. Especially since it resulted in dictators ruling over Earth for hundreds of years.

Beckett noted that because of the mental link they all shared through the Guardian someone else was thinking about this same subject.

Nearby, Daniel reflected on cause and effect.

Like how Batman's absence resulted in dictators ruling Earth.

As Daniel thought about this, the Guardian helped give him understanding..

Apparently when the people of Earth had no self-made human hero to aspire to, they became more susceptible to the influence of dictators.

Funny, Daniel thought. You'd think even without Batman people would still look to Superman as an example.

But maybe there were problems there. Either people couldn't really relate to an alien or something about Batman's absence diminished Superman's influence.

Maybe Superman simply wasn't as easy to relate to without a visible human friend. Or maybe he needed Batman's influence in some way.

Of course the time when Superman was controlled by Darkseid probably didn't help matters.

Was it hard to believe that millions would submit to dictators just because Batman didn't exist? Consider that millions were willing to surrender to the will of Darkseid just before he arrived on Clark's world. There was no Batman then either. Only Clark just before he put on the Superman costume.

Even Oliver Queen as the Green Arrow fell under Darkseid's influence. And the Green Arrow was a hero very similar to Batman.

But Batman possessed a spirit so strong that once he stopped two powerful beings from destroying two universes: one universe with Superman, Batman and the DC Heroes and another with Spider-Man, the Avengers and the other Marvel Heroes.

Wow, Daniel thought. Who would have thought knowing stuff from comic books would help in being a time travel fixer-upper?

It also made sense if people couldn't fully relate to Superman or other really powerful heroes, Daniel thought. I mean, look at Spider-Man, the Hulk or the Fantastic Four. (All of whom Daniel had worked beside, along with the rest of the team. SG-1 had even worked with Captain Picard and the X-Men.) They were all heroes through strange circumstances.

Most of us weren't going to become heroes by being exposed to radiation or being from another planet.

Hopefully, scientists were working on ways to deliberately give people super-powers. Tony Stark did it with his Iron Man armor.

Daniel looked over at Raj, Howard, Sheldon and Leonard. The guys often discussed matters involving superheroes. Raj once asked Daniel why Batman simply didn't become Iron Man.

Whatever the answer to that question, it made sense Batman would be such a big influence. Again, he was the only self-made hero, the only hero people really had a chance of becoming. Though aren't we all heroes in our own way?

In any case, they restored the timeline so once again Bruce Wayne's parents died and there was a Batman and there were no "big bad dictators ruling Earth," as Jack said.

Unfortunately, Clark learned what they had done.

And he wasn't very happy about it.

"I won't let this happen!" Clark shouted.

"Clark, it's done," O'Neill said firmly.

"Then I'll undo it!"

"No, Clark, you won't." The colonel stepped toward him. "No matter how many powers you have, there are some things you just cannot change."

"I won't be responsible for someone losing his parents!"

"Clark, you cannot undo this! You know that!"

"Easy, Jack," Daniel said. "That's probably something Clark has struggled with all his life. Having all these powers, seeing all the tragedy in the world. Not being able to stop it all."

"This has probably hit pretty close to home for him," Beckett said.

Clark simply looked sullen.

"I get that," O'Neill said. "But listen, Clark, our job is to change things back to the way they were. I don't like it any better than you do. But that's how it is."

Looking slightly stern, Daniel crossed his arms. "If we're deciding the fate of other people, are we any better than the Goa'uld?"

"Stop that, Daniel!" O'Neill snapped.

"Come on, Daniel, you know better than that," Beckett said quietly.

"We are not like the System Lords," Teal'c said.

Clark moved toward the Stargate. "I'm going back."

"Clark, don't make me get out the kryptonite," O'Neill said

"The Guardian won't allow it, Clark," Daniel said. "And you know we can't go anywhere without him."

"I'm going to do it anyway!"

As Clark moved toward the dialing device, O'Neill simply sighed and gave a slight his eyes.

Once Clark dialed the address, the Stargate did not activate.

"Clark, it really is for the better overall," Carter said softly.

"Carter's right. You've got to look at the big picture, Clark." O'Neill nodded to his archaeologist friend. "Daniel, explain it to him."

As he crossed his arms over his Stargate Command jacket, Daniel spoke quietly. "This is our mission, Clark. We are the Protectors of the Prime Universe. When the Joker changes a timeline in the Prime Universe, we have to change it back."

Even though he was reciting from the Background, Daniel could choose the rate of speed at which he spoke. Quickly, he explained that the Prime Universe was the universe where you had Prime Earth.

Prime Earth was where you had Clark and Smallville and the beginning of the Age of Heroes. Centuries later there was Captain Kirk and Spock and later Captain Picard and his crew. And centuries after them was the Legion.

"And then there's the Joker," O'Neill said.

"Ah, yes, the Joker." Here, Daniel sounded slightly irritated. "As you very well know, Jack, as the one carrying the Background, I act much like a human search engine. Once someone enters key words or phrases, I have to explain everything about the subject. Everything that's in the Background, that is. Even though I essentially remain myself, I still find that annoying at times. So thanks very much, Jack..

"Here's what we know about the Joker.. Given power by the rogue Q, the Joker now has the power to invade and influence minds, to alter reality and move objects and people from one dimension to another. He can take a Vulcan, a Terminator, a Replicator, or just about anyone or anything and move it around to another time on another world. That's how he creates an altered timeline in the Prime Universe."

Briefly, Daniel stopped to catch his breath. "The Prime Universe is the center of all other universes. When a timeline is changed in the Prime Universe, it sends ripples throughout the multiple universes, causing the Joker to grow in power."

"And last time we saw the guy he was roughly the size of a galaxy," O'Neill said.

"Let me get through this, Jack. When the Joker creates an altered timeline, it has to be changed back. Whether it's good or bad. Even if the Joker turned the Prime Universe into a place filled with rainbows, puppy dogs and unicorns-"

"Which that wasn't," O'Neill said pointedly.

"-we'd still have to change it back to stop the Joker from growing in power."

Daniel looked directly at Clark. "You have to be careful, Clark. If you get in a bad enough emotional state, the Joker can alter you physically, change you."

"Like that time he gave me the head of Homer Simpson," O'Neill said.

As Clark visibly sulked, Daniel went on. "If you stay in this kind of emotional state, the Joker can influence your mind, cause you to-"

Daniel stopped. Briefly, he closed his eyes.

"The Guardian says we're on another mission."

The Stargate was already activated. Quickly, the group moved toward it..

Clark lagged behind. He had an angry look on his face.

Just before he went through the Stargate, he muttered something.

"I still don't like it."

Somewhere the Joker laughed.


	3. Home Away From Home

Doctor Daniel Jackson didn't know it yet. But as he reflected on some of his experiences, an evil being would take his mind back to an evil time.

So that's what happened.

Aboard the timemobile, a sleepy Daniel reviewed the events. .

The team stopped a Vulcan from colliding with Joe Chill so that once again Bruce Wayne's parents died.

When Clark learned this, he was pretty upset. Even tried to use their time-travel-Stargate to go back and undo it.

Things didn't get much better when Team MacGyver paid a visit to Home Base.

"And so that's how the rogue Q gave all this power to the Joker," Daniel said. "That's also how the Q formed an alliance with the Ancients. Now go to sleep, you guys!"

Howard Wolowitz and Raj Koothrappali both snickered.

"I'm sorry," Howard said in his slightly nasal voice. "Could you repeat that, please?"

"Yes, could you repeat that?" Raj asked in a more high-pitched voice that sounded like he was laughing and talking at the same time.

While Angus MacGyver and the Punisher grumbled in the background, Daniel let out a noise of frustration, a noise much like a groaning roar, then he dutifully recited from the Background.

He talked as quickly as he could.

It was a terrible night at Home Base. Everyone was in the Gate Room, on the floor in sleeping bags. Because the Joker had set up force fields to keep them out of their rooms.

The next morning, Daniel stumbled past the "Enterprise" rooms and the rooms that looked like rooms on the Kent farm. Including the one that looked like the loft in Clark's barn, complete with artificial sunset.

At the breakfast table, everyone looked very tired. Sam was simply playing with her food.

"Easy for you, Clark," a bleary-eyed Colonel Jack O'Neill said in a tired mumbling voice. "You've got your room at home to sleep in. I've got my quarters at the base to sleep in. When the Joker isn't keeping me out, that is."

"Yeah," Clark Kent said as he forked up some scrambled eggs and bacon. "But my parents aren't here. Or my friends."

"That may be," Leonard Hofstadter said as he forked his own food. "But maybe we can find a way to help you, Clark."

After breakfast, Daniel took a seat in the Kent living room. There, he was approached by Leonard and his roommate Sheldon Cooper.

"Doctor Jackson?" Sheldon said quietly. "I'd like to apologize for the behavior of my associates."

Daniel thought how ironic it was that Sheldon was considered the insensitive one. Yet here he was doing the apologizing.

"Yeah, we're sorry, Doctor Jackson," Leonard said with an apologetic look. "Even if they were under the influence of the Joker."

"Thanks, guys," Daniel said.

It was then that Howard and Raj approached, both with their heads bowed.

"We probably wouldn't have been under the influence of the Joker if we weren't so obnoxious in the first place," Howard muttered.

"We really are very sorry, Doctor Jackson," Raj said with his own sad apologetic look which one might see on a puppy.

A slight grin from Daniel. "It's okay, guys. And call me 'Daniel.'"

"Oh!" Raj exclaimed as he lit up. "Doctor Jackson says I can call him 'Daniel!' That is so cool!"

"By the way. Doctor Jackson?" Sheldon said. "That's where I sit."

Daniel thought how later the guys got one of their not-so-great ideas. But as usual, their hearts were in the right place.

"What are you guys doing in here?" O'Neill demanded as he stepped inside the holodeck.

Much like with the Stargate, O'Neill was transported to another place.

In this case, it was an apartment in Pasadena. One filled with white boards and a model of DNA. And while there were plenty of superhero action figures, there were no snakes (O'Neill's term for Goa'uld symbiotes). But there were the four scientists from Team MacGyver and Clark.

With his usual slightly worried look, Leonard turned to face O'Neill.

"We're just showing Clark episodes of 'Smallville,'" he said meekly with a slight shrug. Even indoors, he wore a hooded jacket with the hood down.

"Guys, that is not a good idea," Daniel said.

"Knowledge of the future could be very dangerous," Major Samantha Carter said.

"Or it could be very helpful," Sheldon said in his slightly prissy voice.

"How'd you even get these episodes?" Sam Beckett asked. The quantum-leaper for the SG-1 time travel team looked like he had his eyes closed. Probably from lack of sleep.

With a slightly imperious look, Sheldon crossed his lanky arms over his Flash T-shirt. "When you know the laws of physics, Doctor Beckett, you can do anything. You of all people should know that."

A hologram figure spoke.

"Take it easy, all you S-G-One people. The guys are only trying to help." The actress-waitress Penny was neighbor to Leonard and Sheldon back in their real apartment building.

Carter looked slightly annoyed. "I'm not going to argue with a hologram."

With shoulders slightly hunched, Leonard held out his hands in a kind of defensive gesture. "We were just thinking what if Clark gets thrown somewhere unfamiliar on a timeline?"

"Yeah, the timeline thingy," Penny said.

Now O'Neill looked annoyed. "Do you even know what's going on here, blond person?"

"As a rule, no," Penny admitted in a blithe tone.

Leonard went on. "We were just thinking about things that could happen. What if the Joker threw Clark somewhere where he met a young Lois Lane? Or Tess Mercer?"

"Oo-la-la," Howard said with a smile. Next to him, Raj also smiled. Until Colonel O'Neill's frown made them both stop.

More of the hands out from Leonard. "If he doesn't know anything about Lois or Tess, he could really mess up his own future. And a lot of other people's future, too."

With a slight frown, Clark sat at the center of the group right next to Sheldon's spot. "So far, guys, I've learned a lot."

"See?" Sheldon said. "By the way, hello to you, too, Colonel O-Neill. Major Carter, Doctor Jackson, Teal'c."

"Greetings, Sheldon Cooper," Teal'c said with a grin and a slight bow.

"Hey, guys," Daniel said. Carter put her hand up in a frozen wave. O'Neill simply pointed a finger.

"Letting Clark know about his future," Leonard said. "That's all we were thinking."

"Well, I was," Sheldon said. "I do most of the thinking in the group."

"Thank you, Sheldon," Leonard said in his usual miffed voice he used with his roommate.

"What if he were to meet Lois Lane or Tess Mercer. Or both," Raj said with a dreamy look. "I'd like to meet them both."

"Thank you, Raj," O'Neill said. "Your input, as always, is very valuable."

"Hey! I'm an astrophysicist."

"So am I," Carter said.

Penny looked stern, if that was possible for the perky blonde. "Are you picking on my friend Raj?"

"No. But what if I was?" Carter said in a challenging tone..

Penny narrowed her eyes. "Okay, Major Carter, you and I are about to have a serious problem. I just might have to go all Nebraska on you."

Carter removed her jacket. "Bring it!" She was still a little testy from the last time the Joker had temporary control of her.

"Oh, it's junior rodeo on!" Penny said, clenching her fists.

"Cat fight!"

Teal'c stood between Penny and Major Carter. 

"Easy there. Settle down, everyone," O'Neill ordered.

"Still," Clark said. "What the guys are doing makes a lot of sense."

"For once," O'Neill said. "I guess anything is possible."

"It is," Howard mumbled. With Teal'c standing very near, he slowly looked up and stared. Then he spoke in a pleading tone. "Please don't eat me, Teal'c!"

Teal'c looked more grim than usual. "As I have told you many times before, Howard Wolowitz, I am not a cannibal."

"But you are very large, buddy. Humongous, in fact." Howard leaned in toward Raj. "Is it just me or has Teal'c gotten even bigger?"

Teal'c's eyes narrowed slightly. "You have commented on my size many times as well."

"Well, a small moon could orbit around you."

"Not possible, dude."

Daniel wore his usual intense look as he leaned in toward O'Neill. "Jack, I'm not so sure this is a good idea, with everything Clark's been through."

"I'm thinking, Daniel." Wearing his own intense look, O'Neill considered. Then: "Hard as it is to believe, you guys may have a point."

Sheldon's head went back and forth as he looked mildly surprised. "Why, I always have a point, Colonel O-Neill. And it's always a good one. But especially this time."

"Right you are, Sheldon," O'Neill said. "Clark needs to know something about his future." With a slight nod, O'Neill headed for the exit. "Carry on, guys."

"Hold up, guys." Outside the holodeck, Daniel whispered to his team mates. "I still think we should be there to help Clark, guide him through this."

"You are correct, Daniel Jackson."

"Sounds good," O'Neill said as he headed back into the holodeck. "Room for a few more, guys?"

"Certainly! Welcome back, Colonel O-Neill."

"Thanks, Sheldon."

"Thai food?"

Something happened in Daniel's mind just then. It was like static appearing on a TV screen.

In his mind, Daniel jumped back in time.

When Team MacGyver first arrived, it was the usual roster: Raj, Howard, Leonard, and Sheldon. The four scientists known as the "Big Bang" guys. The ones who built the space-time tunnels for the time travel teams.

With the guys were the team's two Men In Black, L and M, along with Frank Castle, better known as the Punisher. And their adventurer-inventor captain.

But Michael Westen and Hawkman were also with them.

As Daniel recalled, Michael spent a lot of time complaining and lecturing.

"If you're trying to interrogate a spy," he said in a cool measured tone, "you might want to use aliens that are a little more convincing. I suggest not using Romulans and Klingons. They're from 'Star Trek.' And therefore completely fictional!"

Wearing his usual light gray suit with no tie, Michael gestured to the figure next to him. "And what's with the birdman? Is he advertising a pet shop somewhere in Miami?"

"Stuff it, spy boy," Hawkman grunted as he waved his mace. "Or I'll stuff you and put you in my museum."

"I'll take you home now," Angus "Mac" MacGyver said.

Abruptly, Daniel's mind jumped to a time that was more terrifying.

When a dark being manipulated his mind.

It was inside a concentration camp on a world called Dark Vulcan.

On the floor of the concentration camp tunnel, Daniel was able to gasp for air. But that was it.

Did he hear chains rattling?

Come on, Daniel, stay awake, he told himself.

As he struggled to stay conscious, he tried to recall pleasant memories from his past.

In the holodeck apartment, Clark sat with his head bowed. Daniel realized he had a lot to deal with.

"I can't believe Lex and I become enemies," he said.

The others had tried to offer support and encouragement. But now they were gone. Off on an emergency mission that combined parts of SG-1 and parts of Team MacGyver. They would, of course, require additional Rest when they returned..

After a certain number of time travel missions, team members had to go into a period of relative inactivity known as Rest. It was the only way to continue time travel or "time-jumping," as Jack called it.

"Hey, Clark?" Leonard said quietly. "We heard about the whole thing with the Vulcan guy and Joe Chill and Bruce Wayne's parents."

Daniel saw a brief flash of anger in Clark's face. Much like when Clark argued with Jack.

Then it was gone.

"Yeah, that was not so great," Clark said. "I wish this whole thing was over."

"Me, too," Sheldon said as he ate Thai food in his usual spot. He grinned. "I'd like to meet Bruce Wayne's parents, though."

Leonard made a face. "At the moment they got shot?"

"No, not then," Sheldon said. "I mean if they actually lived."

"That did not turn out so great, Sheldon." Daniel quickly explained how the team had to go into the 31st century to fight Imperial Guards. In a universe where Bruce Wayne never became Batman, Earth was ruled over by dictators for hundreds of years.

"Isn't there a little dictator inside each of us?" Leonard mused aloud.

"Isn't that what you always say, Doctor Jackson?" Sheldon asked.

"I've heard Daniel say that or something like that," Clark said. "He may be right. Daniel's usually right about a lot of stuff."

"Maybe the dictator thing. But I don't always know everything.."

"Even though you carry the Background?"

"Even with that, Raj." Daniel placed a hand on Clark's shoulder. "Hey, Clark. Look. I realize it's not easy right now. Finding out about Lex."

"Yeah, I can't believe we become enemies," Clark said. "I remember I stood there on the loft with him. It was right after all that stuff with Kyle Tippett and Bob Rickman. I said how they used to be best friends. I asked Lex, 'Think we'll ever end up like that?' Lex said, 'Trust me, Clark. Our friendship is going to be the stuff of legend.'" He shook his head. "And now it's all over."

"But it's not, Clark. You'll go back. You'll have that friendship with Lex again. For a while longer." Gently, Daniel massaged his shoulder. Much as Jonathan Kent sometimes did with his son.

Clark shrugged. "What's the point?"

Silence. They all just sat there looking glum. Except for Sheldon chewing his food with a blank look.

Inwardly, Daniel sighed. Maybe this was really not such a good idea after all.

Was there anything he could say?

"Clark," Daniel said. "It doesn't matter who you are. No matter how many powers you have, you can't change everything or control everything."

"I'd certainly like to, though," Sheldon said. "Could I get powers like the Joker has?"

"Just what we need," Howard groaned.

"Yeah, a bunch of universes filled with trains," Raj said.

"Trains and monkeys," Sheldon corrected, holding up a finger. "And each city would be a Sheldonopolis!"

"Oh, boy," Leonard said.

"Guys, even if we were all-powerful, we can still get hurt and we can still feel pain. Just like some of the powerful beings in Captain Kirk's time. Like Charlie X."

"That's a good episode," Sheldon said. "If I had those powers, I'd know how to use them."

"Be careful, Sheldon," Daniel said. "No matter how smart you are, you can misuse what you have. I know I did once."

"I wouldn't make your mistakes," Sheldon said.

Daniel responded with a wry grin. "Of course you wouldn't, Sheldon."

"What about that time you tattled on me to the F-B-I?" Howard grumbled.

"That turned out all right for me!"

Now Clark wore his own grin. "Does anything get you down, Sheldon?"

"Quite a few things, actually," Leonard said with his usual wincing look.

Daniel sometimes wondered: What were the Q and the Ancients thinking, doing this to mere mortals?

And what about Clark? He might have powers and abilities far beyond those of mere mortal men. But he'd definitely be better off back in Smallville.

"Well, Clark," Leonard said. "We just want you to know that powers or no powers, you're a true hero to us."

"Yes, Clark," a beaming Sheldon said. "You are a true hero. Just like the Flash. Maybe better."

Clark smiled. "Better than the Flash, huh? Thanks, Sheldon. From you that means a lot."

"You're quite welcome, Clark," Sheldon said with a grin as his head bobbed slightly.

"It's true, dude," Raj said, now bereft of his Romulan ale. "You're a true super-dude. Or as Lois Lane might say, 'you're a true red-and-blue super-dude.'"

"You do wear red and blue a lot," Howard said.

"But what matters most is you're a great guy," Leonard said.

"Thanks, guys," Clark said quietly. "I don't always feel like much of a hero, though."

"Well, it's not just us," Raj said. "Lois Lane thinks you're a hero, too. Along with Chloe and Lana."

A slight nod and grin from Clark. "That's great, Raj. But sometimes I wonder: can I do all this? Save people. Help people. It's a lot of pressure. A lot of responsibility. There's so much to live up to. Especially now with changing time and everything."

"Well," Leonard said with a smile. "Just keep doing what you can, Clark. It'll all work out."

"No, it won't," Sheldon said.

"Yes, it will, Sheldon," Daniel with gentle firmness.

"With all due respect, Doctor Jackson, there is no definitive proof of that."

"Things always work out, dude," Raj insisted.

Howard turned to Daniel. "So, Doctor Jackson. What was it like being an ascended being?"

"Yeah, what was that like?" Raj asked with an eager smile.

Daniel winced slightly. "Well, guys, I don't remember that much. Just sort of a sense of things really."

"Well, Stuart from the comic book store would love meeting you! And Clark!" Leonard wore a great big smile. "You should come with us some time."

"You should, dude!"

Daniel was pulled out of that pleasant memory and thrust into his mental struggle on Dark Vulcan.

He recalled the creature being very near..

Daniel could sense the physical presence of the dark being, hear his breathing.

He's standing right over me!

Daniel tried to reach out to grab him but he was frozen, unable to move..

The being was using Dark Power to probe his mind, it seemed.

Maybe even manipulate his memories.

Daniel went back into the past again.

To Home Base and the guys right after Clark saw episodes of "Smallville."

"I don't really want to go back home to my mother," Howard said. "It's different for you, Clark. You've got Jonathan and Martha Kent. The perfect parents."

"Sorry about your dad, by the way," Clark said.

"Thanks." Howard smiled.

"Howard is lucky in a way," Raj said. "At least he hasn't turned into a meteor freak."

"What are you talking about, Raj?" Leonard asked.

"Yes, Raj," Daniel said. "What are you talking about?"

"In Smallville, anyone with a really bad parent goes psycho," Raj said. "And if they get powers from meteor rocks, it gets even worse. Because then, you know, it's a psycho with powers."

"That's true in way," Clark said. "Wish there was a way to help them."

Another hand on the shoulder from Daniel. "That's why you're a hero, Clark. Because you always want to help people and you look for the best in them."

Leonard smiled. "What he said."

"I wouldn't mind having powers," Howard admitted. "Though I hate to think of my mother exposed to meteor rocks." He shuddered.

Next to him, Raj beamed. "But you know what? Being on a time travel adventure is so cool!"

Howard bowed his head slightly, less in a respectful Teal'c way, more in a Howard hangdog way. "Except for that time we kept you up all night, Doctor Jackson. Sorry again."

"Yeah, sorry, dude," Raj said. "Again."

"It's forgotten," Daniel said. "You know, guys, we're on a serious mission. But it's okay to have fun. As long as it's fun in the right way."

"Like the kind of fun that doesn't bother someone else," Leonard said pointedly.

"Exactly, Leonard. It's been great watching 'Smallville' with you guys," Daniel said.

"Maybe we could watch 'Star Trek' together, too!" Raj enthused.

"Maybe," Daniel said.

"Or 'Stargate!' Your show!" Howard exclaimed.

Just then, Daniel got a sense from the Guardian that something very big was going to happen.

"Doctor Jackson?" Howard said. It snapped Daniel out of his thoughts.

"Yes, Mister Wolowitz?" Daniel emphasized the word "Mister."

Briefly, Howard made a face. "Even though we messed up, can we still call you 'Daniel?'"

"Or you could just call me 'dude' like Raj does," Daniel said in his slow quiet way of talking.

"Yeah, dude!" Raj did a "raise the roof" gesture..

"All right," Clark said. "Good for you guys."

"Look, guys," Daniel said. "Even if we don't go on missions together, we're still friends."

"We're friends?" a giddy Raj said. "We're friends with Doctor Daniel Jackson!"

"Wait until Stuart hears about this," Howard said. "We're friends with Daniel Jackson. And Clark Kent!" ..

In his mind, Daniel left behind the happy scene and traveled back to when he was on Dark Vulcan.

Was it the Joker manipulating his mind?

Or was it...him?

Lying there on the floor in a semi-conscious state, Daniel thought how even though things went wrong with Clark later the encouragement offered by the "Big Bang" guys probably helped.

More than some of the things SG-1 did.

They must have been under some influence by the Joker because they didn't handle that situation with Clark in the most sensitive manner.

No, the aftermath of the Bruce Wayne incident wasn't handled well at all.

But, Daniel remembered, there was still some hope.

It was while Leonard, Raj and Howard were watching "The Trouble with Tribbles." Daniel stood outside a holodeck entrance with Clark and Sheldon.

The door whisked open, and Daniel glimpsed the entrance to the Talon.

"Go ahead, Clark," Sheldon said quietly. "Going home for a while helped me."

"I see that," Clark said.

This is what Clark does, Daniel realized. He befriends outsiders. Whether it's Cyrus Krupp or Jordan Cross. Or the "Big Bang" guys. Clark even tried to reach out to Davis Bloome. Of course, Raj and Howard weren't about to turn into monsters. Or at least Daniel hoped they wouldn't. But who knew what the Joker might do?

As Clark stepped inside, he found a friend near the entrance. .

"Clark," Lex said cordially as he lifted his coffee cup.

"Hey, Clark," Pete Ross said with a big smile.

"Hi, Clark!" Both Chloe and Lana waved. Both had big smiles.

Then the voice of Martha Kent. "Clark! You're back!"

"Hey, Mom."

"Good to have you back, son," Jonathan said, putting a hand on his shoulder. .

"Good to be back. This is my buddy Sheldon."

"Hello, Sheldon," Martha said, smiling as she shook his hand. .

"How are you, Sheldon?" Jonathan wore a big smile as he vigorously shook hands with the lanky physicist..

"Hello, Mister and Missus Kent."

Clark was home.

As the door shut, Daniel turned his mind to more pressing matters.

The new crisis that was brewing.

Daniel snapped out of it.

He was back aboard the timemobile. To collect himself, he reviewed the basic situation.

Despite what the guys and SG-1 speculated, Clark didn't end up in the past with Tess Mercer or Lois Lane.

Instead, he ended up in the past with Edith Keeler. A mission director in Depression-era America. A woman who was the subject of a time travel mission by Captain Kirk, Spock and Doctor McCoy.

It made sense the Joker would send a dazed and disoriented Clark there. The death of Edith Keeler was the central event in the Prime Universe. That moment in time even had a code name: Target Zero.

What happened was this: Doctor McCoy went back in time through the Guardian of Forever. While there, he apparently stopped Edith Keeler from dying in a traffic accident. At least that's what Spock logically deduced later.

As Kirk and Spock discovered, McCoy's action resulted in Edith using her peace movement to keep America out of World War II. Hitler and the Nazis then developed the H-bomb first. With that power, Germany ruled the world.

Daniel wondered what it was like for Edith and Doctor McCoy to live in that timeline. Thankfully, Kirk and Spock succeeded in correcting it.

Except now the Joker had created another bizarre new timeline where Captain Kirk and Spock lived in Smallville and Lex Luthor became Emperor of Earth.

Daniel was brought out of his thoughts by a familiar voice.

"Hey, Doctor Jackson," Raj said. "Or should I say 'Daniel?'" he asked with a sly grin.

From his seat on the timemobile, Daniel looked up. "Hey, guys. What have you been doing while we're on this little trip?"

"We were just talking to Jonathan and Martha Kent," Leonard explained with a smile and just a hint of pride.

"Actually, cosmic beings taking the form of Jonathan and Martha Kent," Sheldon said.

Daniel nodded in understanding. Since the Q and the Ancients were working to hold back some of the Joker's power, they had created intermediaries: cosmic beings who assumed the forms of prominent people in the Prime Universe.

"I've met them," Daniel said. "From time to time, we've run into the cosmic beings. Including your friend 'Cosmic' Chloe Sullivan."

"She gave us the ability to mind-meld with Kirk and Spock," Leonard said with a grin.

"When we got sucked out of the timemobile," Howard noted drily.

Daniel knew the basic situation. The Joker had arranged to turn Clark into a hybrid of the Hulk, the Green Goblin, Doomsday and a Klingon. It was not fun for the guys.

Once the Clark-Creature, or "Clark-Hulk," as Howard called him, punched a hole in the timemobile, the guys ended up in Smallville in the past. There, they got to meet two of their "Star Trek" heroes.

Maybe Howard had even treated Captain Kirk to an embarrassing impersonation. Howard did sometimes impersonate Stephen Hawking. Daniel didn't really care for that impersonation. But he did enjoy Howard's celebrity impersonations of Al Pacino and Nicolas Cage.

Nearby, Beckett spoke in a tired voice. "Time travel is rarely simple. Sometimes you shouldn't intervene. But sometimes it's okay if you intervene in the right way."

A tired grin from Daniel. "You would know, Sam."

Lifting his chin, Leonard smiled. "Thanks to the Doctor Fate helmet, Chloe could see the future. So she knew what was okay to do. It's not like the Joker changing the past just to mess things up."

"The Joker is crazy," Sheldon said, shaking his head.

"And Sheldon knows crazy," Howard mumbled.

Daniel thought how it wasn't over yet. And he already knew that once the team got to Target Zero the Joker had a Terminator waiting for them.

Also waiting was Dark Spock.


End file.
